Chef
Kate McMillen
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Portland, Oregon, United States
i. Biography
At Lauretta Jean's in Portland, United States, the material is cold butter, seasonal fruit, and dough handled before warmth can soften its edge. Kate McMillen owns the shop whose work gathers around pie: an all-butter crust, heirloom apples cut by hand, and the timing of foil, oven heat, and repeated turning.
The Estate
Before Lauretta Jean's became a Portland address for pies, cakes, cookies, and Nanaimo bars, McMillen founded it as a Portland Farmers Market stall, a chapter that ran until 2011. The scale of the work has changed, but the center remains direct: fruit, butter, pastry, and the steady production of sweets meant to be eaten with coffee. Ownership is part of that daily shape. McMillen owns Lauretta Jean's, and she is also co-owner of Wellspent Market. Her stated aim for the Portland shop is plain and exacting: "to have a happy coffee shop, to serve delicious pie every time and have a good time doing it."
In the Cellar
The crust begins with butter only. To keep flakiness high, McMillen keeps both butter and dough cold, moving quickly between refrigerator, freezer, and hot oven so the pastry reaches heat before it loses structure. Her pie-crust rules are physical, not decorative. The dough is never rolled in more than one direction, never flipped, and left thicker than usual so the finished crust has chew as well as shatter. Apple pie shows how texture is built before baking. For the filling, she uses a variety of heirloom apples because they behave differently under heat: some cook down quickly, some bring sweetness, and others bring tartness. Her team hand-chops the fruit, aiming for a filling that is moist but not mushy, with crunch in every bite. The bake is watched closely. Pies spend an hour covered with foil; then the foil comes off, the pies are turned regularly, and the crust is checked every five to ten minutes for even golden color and flakiness.
The Bottlings
The heirloom apple pie, made with five rare varieties, is a signature of Lauretta Jean's in downtown Portland. It sits alongside all-butter seasonal fruit pies, the kind of work where the season sets the filling and the crust carries the shop's hand. Nanaimo bars add another texture entirely. At the shop, they are gluten-free, no-bake bars with a chocolatey nutty wafer base, a creamy custard filling, and a chocolate ganache topping; they are named after Nanaimo, British Columbia. The range also reaches savory and event work. Rib Biscuits were served by Kate McMillen of Lauretta Jean's at Feast Portland 2017's Sandwich Invitational. In 2024, ready-to-heat pot pies from the shop were sold in the deli section of New Seasons Markets.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Kate
What are Kate McMillen's signature releases or dishes?
Her signature work includes heirloom apple pie made with five rare varieties, all-butter seasonal fruit pies, Nanaimo bars, Rib Biscuits served at Feast Portland 2017's Sandwich Invitational, and ready-to-heat pot pies sold at New Seasons Markets in 2024.
What is Kate McMillen known for making?
She is known for pies, cakes, cookies, and Nanaimo bars, with pie crust made from butter only and handled cold for flakiness and chew.
Where does Kate McMillen work?
She owns Lauretta Jean's in Portland, United States, and is co-owner of Wellspent Market.
